The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-22
AN AWFUL FIGHT.
A Combat Between q Tiger and q
on.

After an encampment of two weeks
at BangalOre. we moved to the north
west for thirty miles, and made a new
camp on a creek which emptied into
the Cauvery river. twenty miles below
VS. There had been no shooting done
in this neighborhood for many years.
for the reason that fever plague had
carried of hundreds of the natives and
jepopulatcd many of the villages.
Game had had an opportunity to in
crease, and we had reason to look for
ward to some exciting sport A native
hunter, living near Seringapatam. and
who was with us in charge of the scrv-
ants, had been told by good authority
that lions and tigers had come into the
abandoned district until they were as
plentiful as hares. and that We should
find a hunters paradise.
We pitched our camp on cleared
spot on the right bank of the creek,
which had two feet of water in it and
was about ten feet wide. 1t was a
hilly country all about us. with the
ground fairly well timbered. Half a
mile below us was an abandoned native
village, and many acres of ground
which had once been TILED were now
grown up to bush and weeds. We went
into camp about an hour before sum
down of summers day, and the tents
had not yet been pitched when one of
the natives routed out and killed a
poisonous snake ten feet long. and an
other declared that he saw panther
moving in the thicket across the creek.
We cut down the smaller trees and
bushes and built a strong Enclosure for
the riding horses and pack animals. and
then ran breastwork of brush clear
around camp. A lion or tiger could clear
1t at n bound, but neither beast ever
enters an Enclosure off hand. He must
be pressed by hunger, or desperate
with rage 1t had just come to be twi-
light, and we were still working at the
north side of the Enclosure, when the
fact that we had big game at hand was
proved in sorrowful way. A native
young man about seventeen years of
age, who was one of the brush cutters,
was engaged with others about 500 feet
from where we were at work. 1t was
the last load to be brought, and he was
last of all. He was picking up his load
when a-xiger sprang upon him from the
bushes. Every one of us heard the
Snarl of the beast and the cry of the
7nan. and, indeed, there was the whole
scene right before our eyes. The vic
tim, as he was hurled to the earth. fell
upon his face. The tiger seemed to
turn him over three or four times, and
then seized him by the shoulder a,.L
started off with him-not into the
thicket right at hand, but across 200
feet of perfectly open ground toward
The creek.
For few seconds all of us seemed
turned to stone. Then there was a
rush for the rifles. which were FORUM
nately near at hand. There were three
or four cid soldiers and tiger hunters
with us, and their presence of mind
brought about the death of the beast
Some of US would have hesitated to
fire, KNOWN that our bullets would
be as apt to hit the servant as the tiger,
but two or three men shouted for every
body to blaze away, and five or six re-
ports followed one another in quick
succession. These men reasoned that
the native was already MORALLY hurt,
and that it would be better for him to
die at once by one of our bullets than
10 be carried off and eaten alive. 1
have personally known of four or five
cases where men have been seized by
tigers. and have talked with hunters
who knew of many other cases, and
there was only a single instance where
the victim escaped the fatality of the
spring. When the tiger leaps he also
strikes with his forepaw, and the blow
Is terrific.
The beast and his burden were
about half way across the open
when they fell in a heap; the tiger
was up again in a second. whirled
around like a top. and then. with =
fierce growl. he seized the native again
with his teeth and resumed his progress.
We were advancing as we fired. but the
tiger did not increase his pace by a |
second. and between the reports of the |
rifles we could hear Tim growing in a |
savage manner. Handing my empty |
rifle to servant, 1 drew my revolver |
and ran full at the animal from an
angle. determined that he should not |
escape. He bore off a little to avoid me |
as opened fire. knew hit him, for
/ saw him vince, but he kept straight
on to the bank of the creek. and after
saking a new hold of his burden he i
made spring. landed on the other
side and fell into a heap, dead. The
servants crossed and brought over both
bodies. 1t was with the native as the
tiger hunters had suspected. In leap
ing upon him the animal had given
him blow which broke his neck. The
one cry we heard was all that he ut
tered. When we came to look his dead
body over, we found that four of our
bullets had hit it, but he was dead long
enough before a shot was fired. In the
case of the tiger, he had been hit nine
times. and three of the bullets had
reached vital spots. One of his fore
legs was broken. and he had carried his
burden the last thirty feet and made
the spring across the creek on three
legs. i
The next day was ushered in with a